NellieOlsen

I believe we are in the same class from previous conversations we have had on this site before? (Nellie is obviously not my real name..LOL) I was overwhelmed last week also, but not one person will tell us that nursing school is easy. My friend just went through nursing school in another state, and she said I would be abnormal if I WASN'T overwhelmed right now. I'm focusing on one week at a time. If I try and look at the whole picture and how much work this will be, I get overwhelmed. Baby steps, one week at a time. Also, I am not reading the entire chapters..just skimming and highlighting. Then as they are lecturing, I am making notes from the power points. Have you joined the FB group that was started for the class? Anyway, if you want to meet up in class, send me a PM with your name. I wonder if we have already met anyway. :)

I would come up with another mistake to use in an interview, one that doesn't include a med error or involve a patient's well-being. That's an odd question to be asked though. Hopefully it won't come up again.

Have you joined a study group? If not, start one! Meet on campus and study. If you get a serious group of people who really want to learn, it's fantastic! Also, try teaching the material to someone else. I spent hours "teaching" the bones to my little one. Just saying it outloud, even to yourself, makes the information stick better.

Good luck to those waiting to hear!

Don't capitalize the letter "a". Should be lower case unless it's the first word in the sentence. There are a few punctuation and grammar changes you need to make, but it's too hard for me to copy/paste on my iPad. It will be a good essay when you get it finished though! :)

You got good advice. Take care.

I applied to nursing school for the January session. I should hear if I was accepted in the next week or two. I'm DYING with anticipation and frantically checking the mailbox every day. Anyone else in the same boat? :)

I can relate. I have the same concerns. I have an autoimmune disease that goes through periods of flares (very painful) and remissions (ah sweet relief). I'll be watching for any advice here.

I'm applying! Got my application already completed and just need to get it notarized. :)

I have a jansport that I got from ebags.com. It's awesome. And it has a lifetime guarantee.

Also, if you use a resume builder, it will usually condense the personal info (address, email, phone) at the top into a tidy little box. That might save you about 6-10 lines.

Your second, less wordy, version is much better. My only suggestion is that it's missing some "sparkle" words. Example: Medication administration, wound care, various catheter cares, assessments I'd say: Performed medication administration, wound care, various catheter cares, and assessments while providing superior patient care. Just add a few words here and there that showcase your ability to "perform", "delegate", "coordinate", "assist", etc.

I start clinicals this semester, and out of everything I need to do to prepare, you'd think picking a watch wouldn't be a big deal. But it is. I never wear a watch and don't own one. What kind should I get? The only requirement from my school is that it has a second hand. Do you have a favorite brand or style? Anything I should avoid?

Congrats! I bet that feels great. I have 3 classes left until I'm finished. One more semester..Good luck in September!

Save your money and make your own! Just writing them out, even if I never looked at it again, helped tremendously. I just finished 2 semesters of API and APII. I had almost 2000 flashcards! It was physically painful to throw them away.

Nope, no calculators. We were given pencils and paper. If you can do basic multiplication and division, you'll be fine. :)

What a great post. Thank you for sharing!I'm taking Intro in the fall and will be doing the Tues/Thurs class with Saturday clinicals. Exciting! Congrats on getting into the program!

I work full-time and will continue to do so as long as I can. I am lucky that I have a very understanding boss who allows me to switch my schedule around to accommodate my classes. It's hard but definitely doable!

Again with this?

Summer: AP II Fall: Microbiology with lab and my last Algebra class EVER! (Slightly excited about that!) After that, I'll be done with pre-reqs and I can apply to the January session for nursing school.

Hmm, 2 years of intense work in a great program or 3 (long) years of work in a crappy, unorganized, frustrating program. I'd definitely go for the school that has a better program, even if it is more intense. You'll be done faster and not have the continued headache of your current school. Good luck with your decision!

being compassionate is what enables me to emphasize with others and determine the best approach to help. think you mean empathize here. these three characteristics are what has pushed me so far should be have since characteristics is plural. also, if you didn't do it in your final copy, i'd separate it into paragraphs for easier reading. good luck with your application!

See, my school doesn't say "You need at least a 3.0 to be accepted". It's "You need at least a 3.0 to APPLY." There is a difference! If they have 50 spots and hundreds of applications, chances are those with the GPA's closer to the 3.0 range will not get in. But like someone else mentioned, there are usually many other factors that are considered. For my school, your TEAS score is weighed pretty heavily.

I will be working though will probably cut my hours down to 32 hours a week. Quitting my job isn't an option since I hold the health insurance. But I'm lucky in that I work from home and can easily adjust my schedule as needed for clinicals and classes. I've worked all through my pre-reqs, taking a full-time course load, and maintained excellent grades while still being mom to a few kids and keeping the house running. I know nursing school will be brutal compared to pre-reqs, but when you go into it knowing that you have no other choice but to make it work, you do what ya gotta do! I know that I want this bad enough that I will make it work.

My suggestions: Form a study group. Make plans to get together at least once a week, more if you can all swing it. Every single session I have with my group, I leave feeling like we made huge progress. Make sure to avoid the "Chatty Cathy" type people though. They will bog down your group and want to spend the session time gossiping. (Speaking from experience!) Buy lots and lots of notecards and highlighters. I easily hit 1000 notecards all semester. Every day after class, as soon as you get home, go over your notes and material that you learned in that class. While it's fresh, make your notecards. Don't wait until the next day or later. Like someone mentioned before, you will get lots of new information every class so waiting to cram before a test WILL NOT work. Make your notecards, study guide, etc as you go along so that you can be more effective when studying before a test. Keep a small binder (like 1.5" ring binder) to hold your lecture notes and lab handouts. Use a hole-puncher to add any sheets your instructor hands out. I use one that's portable enough that I can easily grab it to read while waiting at my kids' functions or just to sit on the back porch and review. After each test, I empty it and it's ready for the next test's material. I also keep my notecards in my purse usually so if I'm stuck waiting at a doctor's office or something, I can pull them out and flip through them a few times. If your book comes with an additional online resource (like Mastering A&P) use it! They have good visual aids, puzzles, spelling quizzes, fill in the blank, etc. Good luck to you!